Monty Banks Movies

Director Henry King's adaptation of John Hersey's novel is a faithful telling of the story of Major Joppolo (John Hodiak), who is assigned to administrate the Sicilian town of Adano after World War II and attempts to return it to its pre-war tranquility. His initial actions include feeding and clothing the villagers, who have been left starved and destitute by the ravages of the war, and preventing the hanging of its former mayor, a Mussolini supporter, although he makes clear that any hints of Fascism will not be tolerated. Suspicious at first, the villagers finally come to trust Joppolo when he works to reclaim the town bell, stolen from the city hall and a symbol of its identity. Gene Tierney plays the fisherman's daughter that Joppolo falls for, while William Bendix is his compassionate orderly and assistant. A Bell For Adano is a low-key look at the effects of war that builds to a quietly powerful conclusion. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

In their first 20th Century-Fox vehicle, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are cast respectively as the butler and chauffeur of wealthy young Dan Forrester (Dick Nelson). Tired of being pampered and coddled by his overprotective aunts (Mae Marsh, Ethel Gryffies), Dan is delighted when he is drafted into the Army. To make certain that no harm will befall their "frail" master, Stan and Ollie also don uniform and accompany Dan to US Cavalry training camp. While the boys get mixed up in one disaster after another-at one point, they find themselves behind a moving target on the rifle range-Dan pursues a romance with photo-shop proprietor Ginger Hammond (Sheila Ryan), much to the consternation of Ginger's erstwhile beau Sergeant Hippo (Edmund MacDonald). Convinced that Ginger is a gold-digger, Stan and Ollie try to break up the romance, to no avail. All plotlines are resolved during a climactic "sham battle", wherein Dan proves his courage and grit while Laurel & Hardy end up captured by the "enemy". Obviously inspired by the success of Abbott & Costello's Buck Privates (it's even more obvious in the earlier drafts of the script), Great Guns is a major letdown from Laurel & Hardy's previous starring features at Hal Roach Studios, with Stan and Ollie looking most uncomfortable as they mouth the inanities written for them by Lou Breslow. Still, a few good bits emerge, including a surrealistic routine with a faulty light bulb and an amusing bridge-building sequence. Watch for Alan Ladd in a jaunty bit role as a camera-store customer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this British comedy, a young woman begins managing her free-spirited father's waterfront pub and does a great job of it until the shipyard is closed down. To help the poor workers, she gathers them together to walk to London in protest. No one goes along with the scheme, so the plucky gal then does all she can to single handedly get the shipyard to open again. She does so by pretending to be someone else so she can get an audience with an important diplomat. One song from the show, "Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye," was a favorite of soldiers heading off to fight WW II. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

British musical comedy star Gracie Fields made a bid for stardom in the U. S. with this lighthearted story. Music hall entertainer Gracie Gray (Fields) has grown tired of dealing with her less-than-honest manager and quits her job in the revue, with the rest of the cast soon following suit. Gracie moves out to her uncle's farm, with her friends tagging along; they happen to meet Bert (Roger Livesey), a successful musician, and with his help and advice, Gracie and the gang work up a whole new act. Taking their routines to the stage of a theater in Brighton, Bert and Gracie's show proves to be a huge hit. As usual, Fields sings several songs, including "Swing Your Way to Happiness" and "The Holy City." Notable among the supporting cast is Skippy the dog, who as "Asta" became a scene-stealer in The Thin Man. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a young man learns that he is supposed to inherit some valuable jewels and enlists the aid of his shyster lawyer to see that he gets them. The trouble is the stones are tucked away into the lining of one of six antique chairs that have mysteriously vanished. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Dapper, diminutive Monty Banks was a major comedy star in silent pictures, but his pronounced Italian accent proved a drawback in talkies. Accordingly, Banks' most successful sound vehicle was So You Won't Talk?, during which he utters only a handful of words. His silence is motivated by the terms of a will, wherein Tony (Banks) will inherit a huge fortune if he keeps his mouth shut for 30 days. Nor is he even permitted to write down his thoughts during this period: in other words, he's strictly incommunicado. Naturally, events conspire against our hero, placing him in several uncomfortable situations brought about by his self-enforced muteness. Very funny in spots, So You Won't Talk? may be a bit too thin to stretch across nine reels. Helping things considerably is the snappy direction of William Beaudine, who before his descent into "B" pictures was regarded as one of the best all-around craftsmen in the business. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ratoff is a lion tamer who hears that a rival of his has died by a lioness. Ratoff adopts the daughter of the deceased man, and he buys the lioness that killed him. As time goes on, he becomes increasingly jealous of the men who pay attention to the girl, who has grown into a beautiful woman. As his fame at the circus is being surpassed, he demands the woman marry him. She becomes involved with the very one surpassing his fame, however, and this pushes Ratoff too far. ~ All Movie Guide

A church mouse may be quiet, but not in this zippy British comedy from Warner Bros.' Teddington Studios. Hollywood's Laura LaPlante plays a meek, drab secretary in the employ of handsome banker Ian Hunter. She takes off her glasses, and--gosh!--she's gorgeous. Old silent-comedy hands W. Scott Darling and Tom Geraghty fashioned their screenplay from a play by Ladislas Fodor and Paul Frank (previously filmed as a silent). The Church Mouse was directed by slapstick comedian Monty Banks, who essays a small role as Harry Blump. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hollywood favorites Charles Farrell and Gregory Ratoff head the cast of the British romantic comedy Falling In Love. The film's real star, however, is young Mary Lawson, here making her cinema debut. The plot concerns a famous film star (Farrell) who seeks shelter from his mobs of fans by hiding out on the top of a London double-decker bus. Alas, he hasn't the proper fare, so our hero must rely upon the kindness of strangers -- or specifically, a stranger, pretty shopgirl Lawson. Eventually falling in love with the star, Lawson is disillusioned by manager Ratoff, who informs the girl that Farrell is not only a love-'em-and-leave-'em type, but is already married. A happy ending does come about, however, thanks to a last-minute chase between an ocean liner and a tugboat (such sequences were a matter of course for the film's director, former silent-screen comedian Monty Banks). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical-comedy, a good-hearted composer sees a beautiful woman at a traffic light and is inspired to write a song. They then fall in love. She is a feisty, untamed sort and soon after the wedding, the fireworks begin as they constantly bicker. At one point their rows become so violent that they nearly destroy a house. The plot is based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this mystery a man who will do anything for his lover tries to get back his power of attorney so that he can manage his true-love's fortune. He wants it back because he realizes that she no longer trusts her guardian who has been administering her trust fund. In order to get it back he attempts a safe cracking. Unfortunately, he is caught by a detective. Later it is the detective who shows him a better way to get a hold of the important document. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this crime comedy, based on a popular British play, a young man poses as a poet to protect his auntie's jewels from thieves. His ruse is almost revealed by a female poet, who is really a thief. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide